Beauty Combat: 8 Environmental Hazards To Avoid

Heres what you should know about before stepping outdoors.

THE WHY: The sun sends out blazing UVA and UVB rays. The UVA ones are aging—breaking down the structure of your skin cells, depressing collagen production and compromising elasticity. The UVB ones cause searing burns, which can lead to melanoma.
THE SOLUTION: Apply a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen every single day. (Even cloudy or rainy ones.) At the beach, rock a wide brim hat and be dogged about reapplying every two hours.

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Greg Kadel/Trunkarchive.com

Sun

THE WHY: The sun sends out blazing UVA and UVB rays. The UVA ones are aging—breaking down the structure of your skin cells, depressing collagen production and compromising elasticity. The UVB ones cause searing burns, which can lead to melanoma.

THE SOLUTION: Apply a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen every single day. (Even cloudy or rainy ones.) At the beach, rock a wide brim hat and be dogged about reapplying every two hours.

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Lena Clara/Getty Images

Smoking

THE WHY: Studies have shown the 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the collagen and elastin fibers that give skin strength and elasticity. The result? Skin sags and wrinkles prematurely. And yes, second-hand smoke counts too.

THE SOLUTION: Skip the cigs — even an occasional slip can have long-term effects. And steer clear of smoky bars, if possible.

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Nathaniel Goldberg

Wind

THE WHY: While wind-swept hair — or the piecey, ultra-sexy strands resulting from a convertible ride or a day sailing — may be desirable, the damage it wrecks on your hair shaft is not. Strong gusts of wind tear and lift the hair cuticles, leaving it permanently prone to frizzing.

THE SOLUTION: There’s a reason Grace Kelly, Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn sported all those scarves.

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Nathaniel Goldberg

Salt Water

THE WHY: The salt left lingering on your hair shaft draws out moisture, leaving strands parched and ragged.

THE SOLUTION: For a protective barrier, work a quarter-sized dollop of a botanical hair oil (we like coconut) through dry strands before taking a dip. Even better, pour a bottle of fresh water through your strands after each swim.

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Carter Smith/Art + Commerce

Parabens

THE WHY: The innocuous-sounding preservative commonly found in shampoo has some nasty side effects. The estrogen-mimicking compounds disrupt the endocrine system and cause reproductive and developmental disorders. It’s also been linked to breast cancer.

THE SOLUTION: Parabens can masquerade as a variety of chemical names. Avoid hair products with propyl, isopropyl, butyl and isobutyl parabens.

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FoodPix/Getty Images

BPA

THE WHY: Bisphenol A, or BPA, is industrial chemical used to make plastic light and durable. But when heated, say in a microwave, dishwasher, or blazing hot car, the chemical can leech into the contents of the container and that’s where the problem begins: BPA is another estrogen-mimicking compound disrupts the hormonal system.

THE SOLUTION: Avoid plastic water bottles: You never know how long they’ve sat in the sun before your first sip. Glass and aluminum vessels are a safer bet.

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Sean Cunningham

Loose Powders

THE WHY: Just like car exhaust or secondhand smoke, inhalation of tiny particles from mineral powders, dry shampoo and aerosol sunscreen can build-up in your lungs, increasing the risk for pulmonary disease.

THE WHY: The known carcinogen — used as a preservative, antiseptic and most recently, as a hair-stiffener in straightening treatments — is just about as tricky (and toxic) as chemicals get. When it’s dissolved, it can hide out unlisted on labels. And heat can cause other compounds to release it.

THE SOLUTION: Scrupulously cross-check the label of any straightening treatment with the full list of toxic ingredients like methylene glycol and formalin at osha.gov.

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